Running Current
by illman
Summary: Ryo would bring this man to justice, the right way, no matter the cost and no matter who would try to stop him.
1. Chapter 1

Title: Running Current

Author: hexicode aka illman

Fandom/pairing (if appropriate): FAKE, friendship/gen

Summary: Ryo would bring this man to justice, the right way, no matter the cost and no matter who would try to stop him.

Rating: all ages

Warnings violence, occasionally graphic; (temporary) character death

Disclaimer: The characters and settings aren't mine. No profit is being made, this is for entertainment only.

oOo

Ryo couldn't stand to watch, not when it was Dee who was...

He refused to think the word consciously, yet at the same time he couldn't look away either, even when the piercing wail of the flat-lining cardiac monitor cut through the barrage of hospital background noise, making denial impossible. Ryo could do nothing more than to stand and watch as Dee was dying.

oOo

Forty-Five Minutes Earlier

_Ryo could tell that Dee was nervous, but he certainly hid it better than most. Ryo himself felt a twinge of anxiety, a not-unwelcome reminder of the dangers of his job and the need to remain focussed. Too little fear could get you killed just as quickly as too much, he thought as he put on the bulky protective vest._

_"Ready?" Berkeley Rose barked, poking his head into the office. He too was wearing body-armour._

_"Are you coming too, sir?" Ryo asked. This type of high-risk operation was normally reserved for the lower ranks, or specialist teams, but certainly not the top brass._

_"I won't let you have all the fun by yourselves. I want a piece of this guy," Rose said grimly. _

_They all shared the sentiment. This was a nasty one, who seemed to stop at nothing. Not at kids, civilians or cops. One of their own had already paid the price. A detective from the 27th precinct, Robert Simmons, who had been only two short months away from retirement, had been gunned down at a crime scene three days ago. This had been their first clue that they weren't dealing with a run-of-the-mill rapist. Not that a rapist on their patch wasn't already bad news, but this had been the first time he'd killed. Since then, there had been a victim every day - all his preferred type, brown-haired women in their early twenties, all of them raped and murdered, their hands tied behind their backs with yellow electrical cord - the killer's signature._

_"We're going to get him," Dee said, seemingly to no one in particular. It was another sign that he was nervous._

_"We better do," Rose said. "I trust you two double checked everything. I do not want to see a repeat of yesterday's performance. This time, you won't get off with a warning. I do not need another lawsuit from some scared citizen who had half a dozen armed officers storm his bedroom in the middle of the night," Rose stabbed a finger at Dee. Dee only grinned, not even acknowledging the accusation. He didn't need to. They all knew that he and Ryo had messed up the other day. It was just because of Rose's soft spot for Ryo that Dee was getting all the flack for their blunder. It wasn't fair, but for the moment, they had other concerns. They had a rapist-murderer to catch. Ryo was however planning on talking to Rose once everything was over. If there was blame to be dished out, it wasn't fair for Dee to take the fall alone._

_"Yes, sir. This is definitely it. We traced the stolen credit cards he used to rent the room to the husband of his second victim and we have several witnesses who've seen a man matching the women's description shop at the deli across the street," Ryo summed up what they had to show for almost two days of hard work. _

_"We've as good as got him," Dee concluded, slightly premature as Ryo thought.._

_"Yeah, even, on the off-chance that you might have managed to come up with the address of the creep's actual hide-out, that still doesn't guarantee that he'll be in there," Rose grumbled. It wasn't like they had expected praise, but Rose was in a particularily bad mood today._

_Ryo was about the mention that, as Rose very well knew, JJ and Drake had been watching the place from an abandoned building across the street and had definitely seen activity in the third floor apartment in question, but Rose was already out the door._

_"I guess we better hurry," Ryo said, grabbing his coat and making for the door as well. "You better put that on." Ryo indicated the protective vest still slung over Dee's chair._

_"I can put it on once we're in the car, but if we don't hurry we won't go anywhere today, except Rose's bad books. Well, I do at least. You don't stand a chance of getting there," Dee murmured as he followed Ryo out of the office._

oOo

The sharp smell of ozone brought Ryo's attention back to reality, just in time to see Dee's body arching off the bed, moving only under the force of the defibrillator's current. Ryo willed his partner to react, but his body remained motionless, his face slack, much stiller than even in sleep.

He looked dead, Ryo thought, the idea still un real to him. He immediately pushed away the thought. Dee wasn't going to die. He repeated the phrase like a mantra in his head, his gaze still fixed on Dee's face, blocking out everything else.

oOo

Twenty Minutes Ealier

_It figured that Dee would volunteer to break down the door to apartment 34. He liked all the action, sometimes a bit too much for his own good. The door barring their way to the suspect's apartment was made from thick steel, impossible to simply kick in. They had come prepared though; a heavy metal cylinder with grips would serve as a miniature battering ram. It was part of the standard gear for this type of entry operation and they'd all used it at some point in the past._

_Tension and adrenaline were thick in the air as Dee motioned for the other four men, Ryo, Berkeley and two members of the specialist intervention unit, to step back and get ready for entry. Holding their weapons close to their bodies, they backed against the walls of the corridor. Dee swung the ram forwards, but something went wrong, horribly wrong. The moment the ram made contact with the door, Dee stopped in his tracks. He collapsed to the floor the ram crashing down onto his chest even while his was body jerking wildly._

_Ryo was the first to react. In the back of his mind, he was certain that this was some sort of trap laid by their suspect. However, all he cared about right then was getting Dee to safety, whatever the danger was. But the moment he lunged forwards, he too was caught in the deadly trap the killer had laid for them. _

oOo

It was only Rose's quick thinking that had saved him. The commissioner had realized what was happening just in time. Right now, as he watched the medics desperate attempts to resuscitate Dee, his own survival seemed like a cruelty of fate. Why had it been Dee? It could have been any one of them who stepped onto the metal plate hidden in the floor just in front of the door. Anyone standing there who made contact with the door, be a it through direct touch or through another conducting object, such as the small battering ram, would have completed the circuit and have been instantly electrocuted. That had been clearly the killer's plan and it had worked perfectly.

In front of Ryo, the medics had ceased in their efforts. One of them turned off the wailing alarm, another started packing away their equipment.

"Time of death - 3.24 a.m," one of the doctors announced, formally declaring Dee dead.

Ryo's mind screamed in protest. They couldn't simply give up, not yet...But deep down he knew. He knew that Dee was gone. He had seen plenty of dead and dying people in his life, it came with the job, but it would never become ordinary or commonplace to him. He didn't need the now silent cardiac monitor to tell him that Dee was dead.

Ryo turned on his heel and started walking. He needed to get away, anywhere but here. A woman's voice called after him, but he didn't care, he kept on walking, without knowing where he was going.

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

oOo

One moment, Dee was enveloped in darkness so thick and heavy that he couldn't see, hear, feel or breathe. The next moment, white-hot pain erupted in his chest and he was drawing rapid, gulping breaths, his body desperate for air. His eyes instinctively flew open, only to be assailed by bright lights overhead that drove a spike of agony into his brain. He would have screamed, except that his tongue refused to comply. He had as little control over it as over the rest of his muscles. The point was driven home, when he felt his muscles launch into an uncontrolled spasm just before he tumbled into darkness once again.

oOo

Ryo didn't know how long he had been walking. Without any conscious thought, he found his way out of the hospital and into the labyrinth of the city streets. Familiar streets had made way to unfamiliar ones. At first, people didn't even seem to notice him, they never did in this city, but either he was becoming more aware of what was going on or something else had changed, because he started to occasionally notice confusion or even fear on the faces he walked past. He ignored them and kept walking.

When he finally stopped, it wasn't out of a conscious decision. It was simply because his legs refused to carry him any longer. He managed to make his way to a nearby wooden bench, just before his knees finally gave under him.

Gradually, as his breathing calmed, his awareness returned. He looked around and for the first time his mind was taking in what his eyes saw. The sun was just starting to rise and he was cold. No wonder, his clothes were soaked through and through and the temperature was probably just hovering above zero. Ryo wrapped his arms around himself, trying to keep warm while, for the first time since it had happened, he was trying to gather his thoughts.

He had no idea where he was, but from the looks of it, it could be Central Park. Or any other park in the city for that matter. While he could hear the ever busy traffic, he couldn't see anything past the barren trees. If he was right, he had come quite a long way from the East Side Hospital. He checked his watch; it was just past eight a.m. Five hours since...Ryo couldn't finish the thought. First things first, he reminded himself. He couldn't stay here. Not if he wanted to avoid freezing to death in his soaked clothes. He needed to see that Bicky was taken care of as well. He had left him with one of their neighbours, who occasionally looked after the boy when Ryo had to work late. He needed to tell Bicky as well, Ryo suddenly realized. The boy made a big deal of his dislike for Dee, but Ryo was convinced that part of him would miss Dee as well.

Ryo himself felt oddly numb. It was as if a part of his brain had shut itself down for the moment. He could think clearly again, not like when he'd stormed out of the hospital, nearly blind with pain. No, the pain was bearable now, but he hadn't even begun to grieve yet. He wasn't ready to, there was something else he needed to do and it had nothing to do with Bicky, but everything with Dee. Ryo wiped a hand over his wet face. He was surprised to find that he left traces of blood behind. Examining his hands, he was surprised to find burnt skin covering his palms, reddened and covered in crusted blisters. He must have burned his hands on the battering ram, when he'd tried to shift it off Dee.

It was a preposterous thought, but he'd actually been lucky, he could have ended up like Dee. His heart could have stopped as well. Now that he thought of it, it had been stupid to refuse treatment earlier at the hospital. At the time, his only thought had been for Dee. Well, he seemed none the worse for the experience. The burns on his hands would heal, in time. He'd escape with first and second degree burns. No nerve damage as far as he could tell. Lucky once again, he thought grimly.

He dug into his pocket, trying to find his cell phone, but it was gone. He'd probably dropped it at some point, maybe when Rose had dragged him away from the door. It didn't matter. That way, he was much more difficult to track for his colleagues who would no doubt soon become alarmed by his failure to show up for work.

Ryo tucked his hands back into the pockets of his coat and got up. He had a busy day ahead of himself.

oOo

Due to its close proximity to NYU, the small coffee bar was used to its patrons occupying seats for hours, their noses stuck in books.

Ryo was older than the typical student and it was rather early, but no one paid much attention to him as he picked a table near the back, ordered simple black coffee and a danish and got to work.

Acquiring the files had been surprisingly easy. He felt slightly bad for exploiting Janet's crush on him, but she had been more than willing to help him out. They'd met at a deli in midtown, and Ryo had made sure that Janet hadn't been followed and she had promised to keep quiet. He was probably being paranoid, he told himself, but Rose was a smart man, he would figure out sooner or later that Ryo was trying to go after Dee's killer on his own and he would try to stop him, probably afraid that Ryo would kill the man who was responsible for Dee's death. But no matter how great his desire for revenge, Ryo couldn't throw his life away like this. Bicky still needed him and he was of no use to him if he ended up in prison for murder.

No, murder wasn't on Ryo's mind. He would bring this man to justice, in the right way, no matter how hard or long he'd have to search. Still, he needed a starting point and he was hoping that there was something in the case files, maybe just a small detail, that they had previously overlooked and that would give him something to work with. Janet had brought him the files on the three murdered woman, as well as the files relating to the original investigations into two rape cases that they now believed had been committed by the same perpetrator who had later gone on a spree of rape and murder. Something had to have triggered that change and Ryo was convinced that if he found that trigger, he would find the man he was looking for. So what had made him kill Joanna Wilcox when he'd left his first two victims alive? Ryo opened the file and began to go over the familiar material once again, hoping for fresh insights.

oOo

The sun had barely risen outside, yet JJ and Drake had been at the office for hours already, by the time the commissioner poked his head in the door.

"What do we have?" he demanded, not bothering with greetings or other pleasantries.

Drake and JJ exchanged a look but hesitated. The commissioner's mood had worsened considerably since the botched raid. Right now, he looked as if he was about to bite their heads off, should they dare come up with an answer other than the one he wanted to hear.

It was Drake who finally spoke.

"He seems to have gone underground. We're well past the deadline, but he hasn't called again and there are no reports of any rapes or murders matching his MO so far."

Until now, an anonymous call had always followed a murder, telling them precisely where to find the next victim. They had of course tried to trace the calls, but they were too short, lasting only a few seconds.

"The forensics team has found zip at the apartment. There is nothing to link him to any of the crimes. There aren't even any prints - he must have worn gloves all the time while he was in there."

"Tell them to keep looking. If anything turns up, let me know on my cell," Rose ordered in a tone that tolerated no arguments. Drake was about the say something else, but their superior was already out the door.

"We should have told him," JJ murmured, his face sombre.

"And risk getting fired?" Drake shot back. "It's all a matter of finding the files before anyone notices that they are gone."

"You make it sound easy," JJ grumbled, "We have looked everywhere…"

"Yeah right, you have even broken into Dee's desk to see if he's hidden them in there! They are gone, someone must have stolen them," Drake cut him off, already seeing traffic duty in his future. Things were far from good, but he didn't think it was as bleak as Rose made things out to be. Sure the press was all over them for letting the perp get away, but getting this close seemed to have spooked him. At least there hadn't been another murder today. With any luck, this guy would leave town and become someone else's problem. Rose might not want to admit it, and JJ was probably just as eager to get a piece of this guy, given that he had nearly killed Dee, but Drake was a realist. It would take a major stroke of luck to find this guy.

oOo

Ian Wilcox didn't look like he had slept since Ryo and Dee had interviewed him three days ago after his wife had been raped and murdered. Ryo wasn't entirely certain, but it looked like he was even still wearing the same clothes he had worn then. He peered at Ryo with dark, tired eyes through the small opening in the door. If he was surprised to see the detective again, it didn't show on his face.

Ryo forced a smile. "Good morning, Mr Wilcox. I'm sorry to bother you, but would it be possible for you to answer a few more questions?"

Ian's eyebrows went up in surprise, but he said nothing.

"It would be more comfortable if we talked inside, if you don't mind."

"Oh yes, of course." Ian moved to open the door fully to let Ryo inside. The apartment smelt of cigarette smoke, a smell that hadn't been there the last time. Ian led the way into the living room.

"Please, sit." Ian motioned to one of the armchairs. He took a seat on the couch. "Mind if I smoke?" Ian was already lighting the cigarette. Ryo simply shrugged, casually looking around while the other man was occupied. Aside from the distinct odour of cigarette smoke, the room still looked as neat as it had three days ago. He did notice one addition though, on the low table in front of the sofa stood a picture of Ian and his wife, at a beach somewhere. He hadn't noticed it during his first visit; in fact, he'd noticed that there were no photographs at all. He'd thought it a bit strange at the time.

"That was taken on our honeymoon." Ian had noticed him looking at the photograph. "Hawaii. She never liked having pictures of her around, she always said we'd wait until we had kids…" he trailed off.

Ryo nodded, the man's grief reminded him of his own loss.

"What was it that you wanted to ask me about? You said you had some questions?" Ian interrupted Ryo's sombre thoughts.

"Yes, well, I'd like to learn more about your wife. Get some idea of the kind of person she was."

"The best, she was the best," Ian simply said. "I didn't deserve a woman like her. I never should have brought her to the city. She never wanted to come here, you know. We only moved because I'd been offered a better position here."

Ryo already knew that. Ian had mentioned their move at their first interview. The couple had only moved to New York City three months ago and according to Ian, his wife hadn't really adjusted yet to the city life. Ryo had gotten the impression that Joanna had led a very lonely life since her move. At least according to her husband, she hadn't made any friends yet and she had spent pretty much all her time at home. It was all those hours that had made Ryo wonder in the first place. What had she been doing while her husband worked long hours at his new job? They had of course spoken to the neighbours, but nothing of interest had turned up. They had all claimed to barely know the couple and they didn't seem to have a reason to lie about it. Ryo had been in every room of the house the day of the murder, but he hadn't seen any books or craft supplies, or anything that might explain what Joanna had done all day.

"I was wondering, what were your wife's interests or hobbies? Did she like to read, for example?" Ryo tried to tactfully approach the issue.

"No, no, she always said books gave her a headache. She rather watched TV. She was addicted to those soap operas and talk shows on daytime television." Ian shook his head. "I never understood the appeal. But she could get really wrapped up in the storylines."

Perfectly plausible, but the answer didn't satisfy Ryo. The killer must have had some reason for picking Joanna Wilcox as his next target and something about her or something she said or done perhaps had made him escalate to murder. That had been the theory the investigators had worked with, without much progress. A thought had occurred to Ryo while studying the case files, one that at least he hadn't previously considered. Joanna Wilcox had been stabbed to death. The coroner had counted over fifty stab wounds to her torso. The other two murdered victims – Michelle Nixon and Simone Russell had been killed in similar fashion, with the same knife, but unless the killer had found the knife at the Wilcox apartment, he had to have brought it with him, probably with the intent to kill this victim. So, why her?

"Are you all right, detective?" Ian asked.

"Yes, everything is all right," Ryo reassured him, but he noticed Ian's eyes on his burnt hands. He'd bought some gauze at a drug store earlier, but he hadn't been able to wrap them very well, with both hands injured.

"Can I offer you a coffee, then, Detective….?

"Detective MacLean. And yes, a coffee would be nice." Ryo meant it. He had been up for over twenty-four hours by now. Besides, it would give him a chance to have another look around the living room. There was something about that photograph that nagged at him. Ian got up and headed for the kitchen. Once he was out of sight, Ryo leaned forwards to get a closer look at the photograph. The exposure was pretty bad, but he could now see a birthmark on the woman's shoulder, visible as she was only wearing a bikini in the photograph. He was certain that the Joanna Wilcox, or at least the body identified by her husband as Joanna Wilcox, hadn't had this birthmark. Of course, she could have had it removed, he supposed, but it was odd. He was considering asking Ian, when he heard a sound behind him. He turned around, out of habit and trained watchfulness, but it was just Ian, bearing two steaming mugs. Ryo just had time to realize that something about his body posture was off, when the steaming liquid was flung at him.

TBC


	3. Chapter 3

oOo

As Rose had expected, he received no answer when he knocked against the door to Ryo's apartment. Not hesitating for a moment, he pulled out a lock-pick. Within seconds, he had the door unlocked. He gently pushed open the door and stepped into the dark, silent apartment. He was about three feet into the door, when a shadow caught his eye.

He whirled around, and easily caught the metal bar that was being swung in the direction of his head.

"Easy there," Rose smiled at Bicky, who was staring at him with eyes full of unguarded hostility, while not letting go of his end of the metal bar.

"I know you! What are you doing here and where's Ryo?" Bicky demanded. Rose wasn't surprised. Although he stubbornly refused to show it, Bicky had to be pretty worried about his adoptive father not coming home.

Rose reached out a hand and hit the light switch on the wall behind him. The sudden bright glare caught Bicky by surprise and Rose managed to pry the improvised weapon from his hand.

"Careful, you could hurt someone with that,"

Bicky glared at him, crossing his arms in front of his chest.

"Ryo left you here all by yourself?" Rose asked casually as he looked around.

"Hey, he's not neglecting me or anything!" Bicky immediately protested, protective of Ryo.

"I wasn't suggesting that, I was simply wondering." Rose tried to appease him.

"He left me with Ms. Hanson, but she had to go to work. I don't like her anyway. Why'd you want to know?"

Again, Rose could sense the unspoken question. He hadn't been certain in the beginning, but now he was convinced that Ryo hadn't been in contact with Bicky since the raid. That worried him considerably. Even if he was upset about Dee, Rose had hoped that Ryo's sense of responsibility towards Bicky would bring him to his senses fairly quickly, dampening any desire for revenge.

"Did you have anything to eat today?" Rose was fairly certain that he had, judging from the mess and dirty dishes cluttering the table, but he was trying to break the ice, not that he was any good at this sort of thing, in his opinion.

Bicky didn't reply, Rose could tell that he was thinking hard, trying to figure him out. But for once, Rose's only agenda was to find Ryo before he did something stupid. He admittedly still felt a rush every time he looked at Ryo, but right now he couldn't have cared less about that.

"Something happened," Bicky stated, sounding oddly calm. "He's dead."

Rose shook his head, suddenly a little uncertain how to deal with the boy. Eventually, he decided to go for the truth and hoped Bicky was up to handling it.

"Ryo was hurt during a raid last night, but he left the hospital before anyone could check on him," Rose carefully began to explain. "I was hoping he'd gone home and was simply not answering the phone, but I take it he hasn't been here since."

Bicky shook his head silently, his face stubbornly set as he tried hard not to show any emotion.

"You asked Dee? He should know," Bicky said, but he sounded half-hearted. He'd probably figured out that something had to have happened to Dee, for Ryo's boss to drop by.

"Dee was hurt pretty bad in the raid last night. He..."

"I don't care about him! I bet it's his fault that Ryo's gone missing!"

Rose ignored the outburst. "You're probably right," he conceded in a soft voice. "I think he's looking for the man who hurt Dee."

"Then he's stupid." Bicky jammed his hands into the pockets of his jeans and turned away. In that moment there was a knock on the door.

"I'll get that," Rose headed for the door. He let in Janet.

"Good evening, sir," she greeted him formally, before stepping further inside. Rose had given her a fair warning, but she had wanted the job anyways.

"I'll leave you to it, then. Bicky, this is Janet. She'll keep an eye on you for the moment, to make sure that everything is all right."

"Don't need anyone," Bicky argued, not turning around to face the new arrival.

"The law says you do," Rose stated matter of factly and made for the door, looking back one last time. He didn't envy Janet in the least, but she'd told him that she would be able to handle it - she had grown up with three younger siblings. Frankly, he was glad that he didn't have kids to deal with at home. Although they couldn't all be as difficult as Ryo's adopted son, could they?

oOo

Dee was drifting, awareness coming and going like the ebb and flow of the tide. Moments of clarity came and went, allowing him brief glimpses of the world around him before vanishing into the haze that enveloped everything. It was an almost pleasant place to be - he was blissfully unaware of his wounded body, just being, painlessly and content. But there was something, a nagging shadow of a feeling that wouldn't leave him alone and tugged him back to consciousness again and again. He didn't know what it was, but he knew that something was wrong, something was missing.

In his more lucid moments, he was aware of an ever-changing stream of visitors and medical personnel, but the face he was waiting for wasn't there. Every time he opened his eyes, he hoped he'd finally see Ryo. Even through the heavy curtain of drugs, he knew Ryo would want to be there with him; they were partners after all, in more ways than one. But he never came and Dee was too weak to ask.

It took a full day until he was able to remain awake for more than a minute at a stretch. When he finally rose to full awareness, he immediately realized that he was in hospital. The smell of disinfectant mixed with the beeps of machinery and monitors. He was hooked up to a cardiac monitor himself, he realized a moment later. So whatever had happened had to have been pretty serious. He was just about to take a mental inventory when JJ poked his head around the privacy curtain, holding a bouquet of flowers. He regarded Dee with an expression of utter surprise, until he rushed over to the bed and immediately enveloped Dee in a hug, dropping the flowers carelessly on the covers.

"Man, I'm so glad you're awake. They didn't know if you'd ever wake up!"

"Stop it!" Dee croaked. He was almost shocked at how his voice sounded. Rough and slightly slurred, it sounded completely unlike him.

Dee tried to disentangle himself from JJ's hug, but his limbs only sluggishly complied. "I'm awake, all right? Dee protested instead, hoping that JJ would get the hint and let go of him.

JJ backed off and settled down in a chair at Dee's bedside, his eyes not leaving Dee for an instant.

"What happened?" Dee asked, the words coming out clearer than earlier, but still slightly slurred.

"You don't remember?" JJ asked, his voice filled with concern.

"Would I be asking you if I did?" Dee shot back, the retort coming across weak instead of annoyed as Dee had hoped.

"What's the last thing you remember?"

It was a perfectly valid question, but Dee had neither the strength nor the inclination to ponder it right now. He wanted the facts and he wanted them fast, before he drifted off again. He already felt the pull of sleep and strong drugs and he was too tired to fight it for much longer. He couldn't recall how he'd gotten hurt, but no matter what had happened, he'd somehow expected Ryo and not JJ to turn up at his bedside. Even though there might be any number of explanations for Ryo's absence, his instinct told him that something was wrong.

"The raid went pear-shaped, really badly. This sicko hid a metal plate in the floor in front of the door. As soon as you stepped on it and touched the door with the ram, you completed the circuit..." JJ swallowed hard.

JJ's words didn't make a lot of sense to Dee. Too exhausted to process them, they were a mere jumble of sounds to him, strung together in random order.

"Ryo, is he all right?" Dee managed to ask with what little strength he had left. To his own ears, his voice was barely intelligible, but he hoped JJ had understood, because he doubted he'd be able to repeat the question. His vision was clouding fast and the last thing he saw was JJ's careless shrug, before everything vanished into darkness once more.

oOo

The next time Dee woke, lucidity was instant and so was the pain. Although the sharp edges were taken off by drugs, even taking a breath hurt. Dee could tell without needing to ask anyone that he had several broken ribs. It had happened before, and he hadn't forgotten how even cracked ribs could make breathing seem like self-torture. Deciding to hold off on moving for the moment, Dee looked around. Yep, still in hospital. Although his memory was a bit fuzzy, he recalled that much from the last time he'd been awake, if not much else. What he didn't remember, however, disturbed him far more. He vaguely recalled waking up to JJ's concerned face once or twice, and he had a mental image of Rose being there as well, however unlikely that seemed. But the most important person, the person he'd expected to be there, was nowhere to be seen and that was bad news. There was a fuzzy memory of him asking JJ about the other man, but if he had gotten an answer, he didn't remember it now. Dee glanced at the nightstand to his right. There was a huge bouquet of flowers with a card from JJ, as well as a colourful card, probably from folks at the precinct. There were no flowers and no cards from Ryo, which he would certainly have sent even if for some reason he was unable to drop by himself.

If Ryo had some reason for not wanting to see him, although Dee couldn't fathom what reason that might be, he would have to tell him, preferably in person, Dee decided.

He ground his teeth and pushed himself into a more upright position. His ribs felt like they were on fire and he noticed that both his hands were thickly bandaged, but he didn't care. For a moment, he considered the wisdom of his undertaking. He really felt like crap and frankly he doubted he could stand long enough to sign himself out AMA.

"Dee! What are you doing?" Dee didn't need to look up to know whom the frantic voice belonged to. JJ was rapidly walking towards the foot of his bed, armed with a bouquet of flowers – roses, if Dee wasn't mistaken.

"What's it look like?" Dee ground out, not halting his efforts. He slowly managed to turn and swing his legs over the side of the bed.

"Would you mind turning off the annoying thing." Dee motioned to the cardiac monitor. JJ did as Dee asked, although his face indicated that he didn't approve.

"Where'd my clothes go?" No way was he walking out of here wearing this dumbass hospital gown.

"I don't know. But I brought you some stuff; I figured you'd want to be a bit more comfortable while you're here." For the first time, Dee spotted the plastic bag JJ was carrying in addition to the flowers.

"Well, I never thought I'd say this, but thanks!" Dee tried to keep the sarcasm out of his voice, JJ's fussing over him was still annoying but if he liked to admit it or not, he would need help.

"I don't get why you're getting so worked up about this," JJ grumbled. "As soon as he sees the papers, he'll turn up. It's all over them."

Dee didn't understand. He still didn't know why Ryo was giving him the cold shoulder, but what did the papers have to do with it? It was not like their domestic affairs were a matter of breaking news. "What's that supposed to mean?"

JJ winced, looking uncomfortable. "When he ran out, they'd just pronounced you dead. By the time you came back, he was already gone. They looked all over the building but he wasn't there anymore."

Dee felt like a bucket full of ice had suddenly been dropped over him. Ryo wasn't pissed at him or anything - Ryo thought Dee was dead! Dee could have slapped himself for not realizing earlier. He forced himself to remain as calm as possible. He would need a clear head if he wanted to find Ryo before he did something stupid.

"And no one has seen him since?"

"Nope," JJ shrugged, either not very surprised or simply not caring, "He didn't show up at work either yesterday or today. If I did that, Rose would have me back on traffic duty!"

"Stop it, you're making my head hurt." Dee raised a hand to stop to flow of words.

"Sorry," JJ apologized. "I think Rose is out looking for him. He left really early today and told us to call him on his cell if we found out anything new - about the case, I mean." The case, Dee had almost forgotten about why he'd ended up in hospital in the first place. He remembered JJ telling him something about a booby trap that had zapped him pretty good, but for the moment he didn't care. He needed to find Ryo, preferably before Rose did. He could only imagine what would happen if Rose got to Ryo when he was this vulnerable. The man had never made a secret out of his attraction for Ryo.

"If you want to do me a favour, go find a nurse and tell her I want the papers to sign myself out."

JJ looked torn for a moment, then nodded and left.

oOo

By the time JJ returned with the forms in hand, Dee had managed to put on jeans and a sweatshirt - not his usual attire, but it was better than walking around in an open-backed gown. Somewhat to his alarm, JJ seemed to know exactly what size Dee wore.

JJ dumped the forms along with a pen on the bedside table. "You'll have to sign them yourself. I'm not helping you kill yourself." He crossed his arms in front of his chest and regarded Dee disapprovingly. Dee reached for the pen, only to be reminded of the bandages covering his hands. He swore, but finally managed to grab the pen.

"Do you even know that you had a heart attack? You really need to stay here a while longer, at least until they make sure that your heart is all right. They were also worried about brain damage, and frankly I am too."

"Nonsense," Dee protested, but there was no force behind his words. What JJ had just said scared him and, for a moment, made him stop in his efforts to handle the pen with his injured hands. Permanent damage to his heart really would suck. Big time. But the knowledge that he might have already lost the career for which he'd worked so hard made him even more desperate not to lose Ryo as well. He bit back the pain and managed to put a palsied version of his signature onto the release forms.

The effort left him spent and the bed was starting to look very inviting, but there was no backing out now.

"You have your car here?" he asked JJ.

"Yeah, it's in the parking lot out back."

"Let's go then," Dee declared with much more enthusiasm than he felt, already wondering how on earth he was going to make it down the corridor, much less all the way to the parking lot.

TBC


	4. Chapter 4

oOo

At first Bicky had hoped to get a reaction out of the newcomer, but even blaring his favorite music at the loudest setting had failed to provoke a reaction.

Janet had calmly announced that she would be in the kitchen, cleaning up the mess there and that once she was done, she'd come to check on his homework. Bicky had no intention of doing his homework. He didn't even know what it was as he hadn't been in school that day. Ryo would no doubt be pissed off if he found out, but for the moment Bicky didn't care what Ryo's reaction was going to be as long as he came back at all.

It was all Dee's fault anyway, Bicky thought furiously. If something happened to Ryo out there, it would only be due to Dee! Without him, none of this would have ever happened. Bicky kicked the wall for emphasis, but only succeeded in hurting his foot. He swore, something else, Ryo didn't like to see, slumped his shoulders and marched out of his room towards the kitchen. He hadn't even tried to make a proper meal and so far all he'd had that day were some leftover bread and a bowl of cereal, leaving him hungry. Maybe he could talk his babysitter into ordering him a pizza or something. He reached the living room when suddenly he heard voices coming from the kitchen. Several people were talking and it didn't sound friendly. They were keeping their voices down, but Bicky could see that the kitchen door was only ajar. He approached silently and glanced through the opening. Inside, Janet was sitting tied to a chair, her face bruised and lip split. A man, his long dark hair and sunglasses hiding most of his face, was standing over the frightened woman. He was holding a long blade dangerously close to her throat. Another man, tall and black, wearing camouflage pants and a khaki tee-shirt, was leaning against the counter, playing with an unlit cigarette.

"I swear I don't know anything," Janet protested fearfully. "I'm just a neighbor looking after Bicky. I don't know what you are talking about."

"Bicky?!" the man with the knife asked sharply. "Rick! Make sure there isn't some brat running around. Maybe she really is just the neighbor!"

Bicky didn't need to hear any more. He started running as fast as he could for the door. He tried the handle, but it was locked. The intruders had obviously come prepared and made sure that nobody got away from them this easily. In the split second it took for Bicky to make up his mind, strong hands seized him from behind, pulling him off his feet.

"There you are! I bet you thought..." the man didn't get any further before Bicky elbowed him between the legs. He let go of Bicky as he went down on his knees, howling in pain. Bicky clambered back to his feet and raced to the nearest window. He pulled it open, already hearing the voice of the second man behind him, yelling for him to stop. Bicky ignored him and climbed onto the ledge. He quickly gauged the distance to the fire escape below. It was far, but not impossibly so. Bicky took a deep breath and jumped.

oOo

Climbing up the stairs to Ryo's apartment was sheer torture. Every breath jarred Dee's injured ribs. By the time he and JJ reached the landing, Dee felt like he had run a marathon. Sweat was dripping down his face and his muscles were burning from the strain. Panting, he leaned against the wall, trying to catch his breath. JJ was making his way down the corridor towards Ryo's apartment when Dee caught up with him. He wanted to be the first person Ryo saw when he opened the door. There was a good possibility that he wouldn't even be home. If their positions were reversed, Dee certainly wouldn't be holing up in his apartment, he'd be out on the streets, searching for Ryo's killer. But for the moment, he allowed himself to hope, even though he knew how badly it would hurt in the long run. JJ stopped in front of the door, hand poised to knock when Dee noticed that the door was slightly ajar. Ryo wouldn't do that. Even though he sometimes seemed fairly out of it, he always was security conscious. Dee pulled JJ back and in the same motioned reached for his weapon with his other hand, only to realize that he wasn't carrying. JJ opened his mouth to speak, but Dee stopped him and pointed to the door. JJ realized what was going on and drew his weapon. He motioned for Dee to stay back, but Dee ignored him and followed JJ into the apartment.

Dee felt his heart stutter in his chest as he entered the kitchen behind JJ and saw a figure slumped motionless on the floor in a pool of blood amidst tumbled furniture. JJ was already kneeling beside the body.

"She's still alive," he told Dee and pulled out his mobile phone, presumably to call for help and inform the precinct. She? What was a woman doing in Ryo's apartment? And where was Bicky?

They'd searched the entire apartment and there had been no sign of the kid. As often as Dee was annoyed by the youngster, he'd hate to see something happen to him, if only because it would make Ryo miserable and that wasn't something he was going to let happen - not while he was still alive and kicking.

oOo

Dee must have dozed off at some point after sinking down on Ryo's couch. One moment, he'd half-heartedly protested as JJ had insisted on draping a blanket over him, the next, he opened his eyes to see Rose talk to a woman in a white jumpsuit.

"I expect your report on my desk tomorrow," he was just saying.

The woman hesitated, probably not sure how to tell the commissioner that wasn't going to happen. But eventually she nodded. "Yes, sir."

After the woman excused herself, Rose turned to Dee.

"I see you have decided to rejoin us, Detective Latener. While I do hate to waste the manpower, I'll have JJ drive you back to a hospital. And this time, I expect you to stay there until the doctors release you."

Dee nodded. He was sure he could talk JJ into dropping him off at his own apartment instead. He desperately needed food, a shower and some sleep, not necessarily in that order.

"Sir." It was JJ who had entered the living room. "There is a US Marshall outside who insists on speaking to you. He says it is extremely urgent."

"All right. You see that he gets back to hospital." Rose indicated Dee. "And don't let him talk you out of it. I expect you to be back in the office in an hour. And don't think you'll be able to book this as overtime..." Rose left.

JJ moved to help Dee get back up from the couch, and he reluctantly accepted, realizing that otherwise, he'd probably fallen straight on his face. Maybe the hospital wasn't such a bad idea after all. At least they had the good drugs there.

oOo

Bicky buried his hands in the pockets of his jeans as he poked his head around the corner of the alleyway. Night was falling and the streets were busy with people returning home from a long day at work. There was no sign of Carol though and Bicky couldn't help but wonder of something had happened to her. He knew he was probably being paranoid, but he'd made sure that nobody had followed him from the apartment, and he'd called Carol from a pay phone a fair distance from where he'd asked her to meet. He didn't want to place her in any danger, but she was the only one left that he could really trust, now that Ryo had gone missing.

"Bicky?"

"Carol!" Bicky nearly jumped when Carol suddenly stood beside him. "Sorry, I'm a bit late, I couldn't leave right away. Are you all right, Bicky? Is this about what has been in the papers?"

"Huh?" Bicky had no idea what Carol was talking about.

"There was something in the paper, about some cops getting hurt when they tried to arrest that serial killer everyone is talking about. Is..."

Bicky didn't wait for Carol to finish. He darted out from behind the dumpster and ran out into the street, ignoring the painful protests of his left ankle. He'd probably twisted it when he'd jumped from the window, but right now he couldn't have cared less. He recalled passing a newsstand earlier, when he'd scouted the place and that was where he was heading now.

oOo

Reading had never been Bicky's forte, not that he had very much interest in books, but at this point he was greedily scanning the columns of the article.

"What's it say?" Carol tried to read over his shoulder. "Anything about Ryo?"

"Doesn't give any names, just those of the victims. It says both injured officers were taken to an eastside hospital." Bicky rolled up the newspaper and tossed it into the dumpster. "I bet Ryo is trying to catch this guy on his own. I knew Dee would only get him into trouble!" Bicky clenched his fists in anger.

Carol rested a hand on his shoulder. "I'm sure he's just worried about Dee."

"That's no excuse for running off. He is going to get himself killed out there. You know how he is!" Bicky leaned against the wall, sighing dejectedly. For a moment, both were silent. It was Carol who finally spoke: "I think you should go to the police. You know something, don't you?"

When Bicky remained silent, she plowed on. "You might help Ryo if you go to the police."

"I don't know anything about the killer, but two men who came searching Ryo this afternoon...I saw them. I think..., think they might have killed the woman Ryo's boss sent to babysit me.

"But you're okay?" Carol asked again.

Bicky nodded. "Scrapped my knee when I jumped out of the window, that's all," he lied.

"You need to go to the police and tell them what happened," Carol insisted.

Bicky nodded, hesitating. "They're going to put me into care if Ryo...," he finally admitted "Some group home or something..."

"They might," Carol said gently. "But it'll be only for a short while, just until Ryo is back."

Bicky pushed himself off the wall. "Okay."

oOo

"You're sure about this?" Rose asked once the US Marshall had explained what had brought him to New York City.

"I'm afraid so," the man nodded gravely. "You running her prints through the system send up a red flag with us. We made some discrete inquiries with the New York City DA and learned that Irene Rayner had been killed."

"Irene Rayner, I take that is Joanna Wilcox's real name?" Rose asked. The new direction this case had taken on didn't please him in the least. Organized crime killings were notoriously difficult to solve and the people pulling the strings usually escaped punishment.

"It is," the man confirmed. "But Joanna Wilcox is not the name she was given when she entered into the program nine months ago. She was living under the name of Betty Hayman. And she was living upstate, not here in the city. The last time one of our agents checked in with her, was less than a week ago, and she reported nothing unusual. She seemed to have finally settled in."

"There were problems?" Rose asked.

"Nothing unusual for someone in her situation. She was finding it hard to make new friends. She felt isolated. She had to leave her boyfriend behind. He didn't want to enter the program. We've already checked him out; he has a solid alibi. He's been on a business trip in Europe all week."

"Good, thank you for saving us the time." Rose meant it.

"You're welcome. I think you got your work cut out for you already. I've had all the files sent to your office by courier, but I still wanted to advise you personally of the situation. This thing you're working here," he indicated the door to Ryo's apartment, "it doesn't have anything to do with the case?"

Rose thought it was none of the other man's business what he was or wasn't investigating, but since the US Marshall had already gone out of his way to bring him up to speed, he answered the question anyway. "No, no, but some of my officers are involved, so I want to keep an eye on the investigation."

Thompson winced. "Those are always the worst cases. Listen, I know it's a lot to ask, but could you keep me in the loop? I'll be in the city for a few more days. You can reach me here," he handed Rose a card. Rose promised to do so and pocketed the card, intent on checking out the man's credentials as soon as possible.

oOo

Bicky had been inside a police station more than once and never had been treated this kindly. He couldn't help thinking that they were feeling sorry for him, having not so long ago lost his biological father and now his adoptive father, too. They had insisted that the police medic have a look at his knees and his ankle, which it turned out, he'd twisted pretty well when he'd jumped out of the window. However, despite everyone's kindness, Bicky was itching to get out. The whole thing with the sketch artist was taking too long, and he hadn't gotten such a good look at the two men anyway. Even so, the artist kept pressing him for details, constantly adjusting her drawing until, finally, Bicky could say with confidence that those were the men who'd attacked him and Janet. The sketch artist thanked him and asked him if he wanted another soda while he waited for the detectives to talk to him again. Bicky agreed, an escape plan already forming in his mind. Going to the police was one thing and if there was only the slightest chance that it would help find Ryo, he was more than willing to do it, but he wouldn't let them put him with some foster family or into some group home. He could sleep rough for a few nights, not like he hadn't done this before. However, no chance, he had just wandered out of the room where he'd been working with the sketch artist when he walked straight into JJ.

"Where'd you think you're going?" JJ sounded pissed, but then, he never had been a big fan of Bicky or Ryo for that matter.

"Bathroom," Bicky lied.

"Listen if you think about doing a runner, forget it. Not that I particularly care, but do you think those guys are going to stop now, knowing that you can identify them? They probably know already that you have been talking to the police. Unless you want to get killed too, you better do what you're told."

Bicky nodded. He hated it, but he knew that he didn't stand a chance on his own in the streets, not with guys like these after him.

"Right now that means coming with me," JJ continued, "Social Services has found a family who's willing to take you in for a few days."

A few days – Bicky fervently clung to the hopes that this was all it would be. He couldn't bear the thought of losing his family yet again. The thought of Ryo, the thought of home, brought a burn to his eyes. Bicky rubbed at them, trying to pretend that it was only fatigue. He did feel exhausted and his ankle hurt furiously, but the physical discomforts were nothing in comparison to the heavy burdens of fear and worry.

"Come on! What are you staring at the wall for? We haven't got all night!? JJ's annoyed voice brought Bicky back to reality. He swallowed hard and limped to catch up with the detective.

oOo

Even past midnight, traffic was slow in the big city. It was stop-and-go as they moved through the inner city streets. Rain was falling in thick curtains, drumming onto the metal roof of the squad car in a steady rhythm that was lulling Bicky to sleep. He hadn't asked JJ where the family he was going to stay with lived, nor did he care. He was going to find out sooner or later anyway, if they ever got there, that was. JJ was listening to the police radio traffic, sparing them both an awkward and forced conversation. Despite his fatigue, as the events of the day kept replaying inside his head, there was something that wouldn't leave him alone.

The next time they were waiting at a red light, Bicky turned to JJ. "What happened to the woman who was babysitting me?"

"She'll live," JJ told him in a stern voice, "Not that you cared enough to call the police straight away."

Bicky felt his face redden. He hadn't even thought of that. All he had been thinking of was himself. The thought of the woman lying alone, injured and bleeding in Ryo's kitchen because he hadn't called, nearly turned his stomach.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, not knowing what else to say. He felt genuinely bad about what he had done. That woman might have died because of him! The realization hit him with the force of a sledgehammer. What if she had children or a husband who had been expecting her to come home that night? It didn't seem fair that they would all suffer for his negligence.

"Hey, kid. I didn't mean it like that. What happened is not your fault, "JJ's voice softened. "You didn't..."

JJ got no further when an impact from behind rocked the car hard, and it lurched, propelling its occupants forwards.

TBC


	5. Chapter 5

oOo

By the time Dee woke up again, it was still dark. He could have used a few more hours of sleep, but the pain from his injuries had only grown in the absence of pain medication and he doubted that with the worries over Ryo and Bicky weighing on his mind, he would be able to get back to sleep anyways.

Dee started to push himself up. His ribs didn't like the movement at all, but he persisted and eventually managed to get into a sitting position. He took a few moments to catch his breath, then tried to get to his feet. He was almost pleasantly surprised, that while he felt a little unsteady, his legs were holding him. Since there was no one around to see, he didn't hesitate to use the wall as support as he searched for the light switch in the unfamiliar room. He'd been inside JJ's apartment only once before during a birthday party, and he didn't recall much about the layout. By the time he and JJ had arrived that night, Dee had been dead on his feet, unable to do anything more but collapse onto the couch and hope that JJ would leave him alone and get back to work.

Dee finally found the light switch and a moment later, pale yellow light filled the small living room. JJ's apartment reminded Dee a lot of his own - small and utilitarian. Neither of them was going to win any prizes for their interior decorating. Feeling thirsty, Dee shuffled into the kitchen. A wall clock hung above the stove and showed the time as just past 4 a.m. Since JJ was nowhere to be seen, he was probably still at work. It seemed a little unusual for JJ to be this invested in his job, but Rose probably had them working overtime to find Ryo.

After taking a sip from the tap, Dee pondered his next actions. As tempted as he was to head to the precinct, he knew it wasn't a good idea. Besides the fact that in his present condition he wasn't likely to make it this far, Rose would probably throw him out as soon as he saw him. He had ordered JJ to drop Dee off at the hospital. All Dee had been able to talk JJ into had been to drop him off at his apartment and that only after Dee had promised to rest and stay out of the investigation.

It wouldn't hurt calling JJ for an update, though, would it, Dee wondered? JJ probably would let him know if something developed, but Dee really wanted to be there if...no, when they found Ryo, so that he could convince him that he really was still alive. Having seen a phone there earlier, he began his painful trek back into the living room.

oOo

The sound of something dripping, drops falling onto a surface was what woke JJ. It wasn't just the sound of liquid though, he realized; he could feel wetness on his face and neck, almost like something was trickling down - no across his face. JJ opened his eyes, but what he saw did nothing to alleviate his confusion. It was nearly dark and he couldn't see very much - glass fragments on wet ground, a surface of white painted metal. He blinked, thinking that maybe he was really still asleep, but nothing changed the second time he opened his eyes. This clearly wasn't his bedroom…or any bedroom for that matter. His head was resting on something hard and unyielding, but when he tried to lift it, pain shot up his neck.

Breathing through the pain, JJ tried to recall what had happened. The serial killer, Dee, had been hurt in a raid. What else? JJ couldn't seem to cut through the thick fog shrouding his memories. Instead, he turned towards taking a physical inventory. His head and neck hurt, and there was something very heavy pressing against his chest. The rest of his body appeared oddly numb. Panic washed through him when he suddenly grasped the potential implications. The response was sluggish and not very well coordinated, but to his great relief, he could still move his limbs. A familiar chirping noise erupted from somewhere close by, piercing the silence. It took him a good minute, but he managed to fish his cell phone out of the pocket of his jacket. The numbness in his fingers made any co-coordinated effort difficult, but he finally succeeded in bringing the phone to his ear and answering the call.

"Finally! Took you long enough! What the hell are you doing?" a voice barked in his ear.

"Dee?"

"Of course, it's me. Who else?"

Good, Dee was safe.

"...JJ!? JJ, answer me!"

JJ jerked awake at hearing the irate voice, realizing that he must have drifted off for a moment.

"Dee?"

"Yeah, we've covered that! What the hell is going on? Are you drunk?"

"I think...I think I've been in an accident." JJ wasn't sure where the thought had come from, but it made sense.

"Where? What happened?" Dee's sounded worried, almost frantic.

"I'm not sure," JJ replied, his eyes threatening to close on him again. His grip on the phone was slipping as cold and numbness seeped into his hands.

oOo

"JJ?! JJ! Answer me, damn it!" Dee yelled into the phone, but he got no answer. He was just about to hang up and call the precinct to have the call traced when another voice came onto the line.

"Dee?" Although Dee had never heard him sound so fearful, he recognized Bicky's voice immediately.

"Bicky, are you okay?" Dee asked, his heart hammering against the inside of his chest.

"Think so." The reply came with hesitation.

"What about JJ?" Dee asked.

There was a long pause, then Bicky was back. "He's out cold."

"What happened?" Dee asked the same question he'd asked JJ before and hoped that this time, he'd get a sensible answer.

"Car accident...I think someone must have run us off the road. I can't really remember all that well," Bicky sounded young and frightened, not at all his street-wise self.

"Do you know where you are? Are you still in the city?"

There was another pause. "I don't know. But...I can smell petrol. I think the tank is leaking, Dee."

Dee swore. He still wasn't entirely sure what was going on, but if Bicky was right, the car could go up in flames very easily.

"Get away from there now!" he ordered.

"What about JJ?" Bicky asked.

"I'll get help. I'll have the precinct trace the car, and I'll send you help. You just get away from that car!" Dee ordered once again. Bicky didn't reply. Dee hated to break the connection, but he needed the line to call the precinct. Stressing a last time that Bicky get himself to safety, he hung up and dialed the number of the station.

oOo

Drake sighed and eyed his watch wearily. It was half past four in the morning. Drake was eager for a break, perhaps even a few hours of sleep. Instead, the commissioner had them working double shifts, probably not least because he'd finally found out that they'd lost the originals of the case files. At least he was working a double shift, Drake thought sullenly. Who knew where JJ had gone after dropping Bicky off at the foster home. He really should be back by now; even if traffic was bad, the drive up to Albany and back shouldn't be taking him this long. If JJ had gone home to mother Dee...Drake was going to kill him dead the next time he saw him. He didn't understand what JJ saw in Dee and he never would.

The phone on his desk began ringing in that moment. Drake glanced at the Caller ID. Speaking of the devil...

"Yes?" Drake picked up the phone, wondering why Dee was calling him at this time of the morning, when the man was supposed to be in hospital.

"Drake, where's JJ?"

Drake silently rolled his eyes. "He's dropping off Bicky at a foster family."

"No, he's not! I spoke to him on the phone just now! Seems like someone ran him and Bicky off the road."

Instantly, Drake was wide-awake.

"Did he say where he was?"

"No, he was hardly making any sense at all." Dee's voice sounded frantic.

"He took a squad car. They're equipped with transmitters."

"Well, trace it!" Dee yelled.

"Calm down, man," Drake ordered. "Did he say anything else?"

"No, he passed out on me."

"Okay, got to go." Drake was already standing. Not waiting for a reply from Dee, he terminated the connection and got on to CAD.

It took less than a minute for the responding CAD officer to locate the car via its GPS transmitter. The signal was coming from less than fifteen miles away from the precinct, still well within city limits. Even though CAD had immediately alerted the closest patrol unit, Drake still slipped into his jacket and grabbed his cell phone and car keys as soon as he'd hung up.

"Going somewhere, Detective?" A grim smile was dancing on the commissioner's features.

Drake suffocated his anger at the man's condescending manner. "Dee just called. He's been on the phone with JJ and from what he could make out, JJ and Bicky have been in some sort of car accident. I..."

He got no further before Rose cut him off. "He's taken a squad car, right? Then it should be no problem for CAD to locate them and dispatch the necessary units. There is no need for your presence."

Drake clenched his fists, feeling his temper spark.

"On the other hand, I have a more pressing task for you. If you would follow me into my office, please." Rose's voice showed not the slightest hint of concern. He was as calm as ever, a quality Drake had started to loathe ever since the commissioner had come to the 27th precinct. Even so, he said nothing as he followed Rose into his office. Rose motioned for him to sit down. He did likewise and handed a folded newspaper over to Drake. Not sure what to make of it, Drake unfolded the paper. It was this morning's edition of the _Ledger_. The newspaper had been following the serial killer cases, and past articles had been fairly harsh with the police. Rose couldn't expect him to do something about that, could he? There was such a thing as freedom of the press, after all. However, as soon as Drake had unfolded the paper, he spotted what had concerned Rose. A picture of Ryo was splayed across the front page of the newspaper. In the blurry shot, Ryo sat in a chair, arms tied back. A newspaper was resting against his chest, the photograph clearly showing the front page of the _New York Ledger_ of the previous morning. Drake unfolded the paper and read the accompanying article.

NYPD Detective Kidnapped by Serial Killer?

As the _Ledger_ has learned, Detective Randy MacLean is being held hostage by a man claiming responsibility for the recent spree of serial murders which have already claimed five victims. As we reported, the five women were all raped and brutally slain inside their own homes. Since the beginning, the investigation lead by the 27th precinct of the NYPD has been plagued by problems, and a recent breakthrough saw their prime suspect, a man described as a white, middle-aged, escapee, injuring two officers in the process, one of whom had to be hospitalized in critical condition.

The _Ledger _received news of the kidnapping yesterday night when they received a series of photographs that show Detective MacLean, a two-year veteran of the NYPD, seemingly being held hostage in an undisclosed location. Other photographs the _Ledger_ received show the officer's badge as well as his driver's license. So far no demands have been made, but the _Ledger_ is working in close cooperation with the NYPD to ensure the immediate liberation of Detective MacLean

Drake dropped the paper on the desk, stunned by the new development.

"Of course, the _Ledger_ neglected to inform us of this story before the paper went to print. I would have put a stop to the publication immediately. But seeing that it is too late for that now. It probably won't be long until the local TV stations pick up the story, if they haven't already. We need to act fast and do some damage control. I'm already in contact with the DA's office, but they are not holding much faith in finding a judge that will sign a gag order on the case."

"What about that photograph?" Drake asked as he motioned to the picture of Ryo on the front page. "Has tech support been able to get anything from that?"

"They're working on it, but the quality is pretty bad, or so they told me. We need the original copy sent to the _Ledger _as well as the other photographs the article mentioned."

"I'm going to head over there right now." Drake guessed what Rose wanted from him.

"That is precisely what I had in mind. I want everything they have received from this maniac and I want tech support to trace the email address he used to send them the picture."

"We'll find him," Drake said, not sure who he was reassuring.

"Thank you, Detective, that's exactly what I intend to do. Furthermore, I expect you all to work on this 100." Rose stood up. "You may leave now."

oOo

Bicky had never been so tired in his life. Despite the unforgiving hard plastic chair that was digging into his back as he was waiting for one of the ER doctors to get around to him, he was on the verge of falling asleep. The only thing that kept him from dozing off were the terrible images of blood and twisted metal replaying in his mind every time he closed his eyes.

"Bicky MacLean?" His eyes flew open at the unfamiliar voice. Apparently, he had drifted off after all. In front of him stood a slightly pudgy woman with short dark hair. She extended a hand, and Bicky reluctantly shook it.

"I'm Zehra Jones. I'm from Social Services. I'm really sorry you had to wait so long on your own, but as you probably know, you cannot be treated until a parent or guardian is present."

Bicky nodded. He'd been through that routine before, after his father had died and before Ryo had formally adopted him.

"A doctor should see you any moment now, so we can get that arm of yours x-rayed, and you checked out."

Bicky didn't need an x-ray to know that his arm was broken. He was just about to ask the woman from Social Services about JJ, when the TV set on the wall caught his attention. Unable to properly hear from where he was sitting all the way across the waiting room, he jumped up and limped over as fast as he could after seeing Ryo's face appear on screen.

"Images of Randy MacLean, a detective from the NYPD, showing him bound and beaten, have been sent to media outlets all over the city. The man responsible for the kidnapping claims to be the same man who's responsible for the recent string of murders that has women all around the city living in fear. It is unknown whether any demands have been made and the NYPD has declined to comment on possible negotiations with the kidnapper, but we'll keep you apprised of any developments in the case.

Bicky's heart sank. The composure that hadn't wavered during the past two days was finally crumbling, and he couldn't hold back the tears anymore.

TBC


End file.
